All Blacks superstar Dan Carter has identified Will Genia as the Wallabies "mastermind" who must be stopped in Saturday night's high-stakes Bledisloe battle.

While many see Carter's playmaking showdown with Quade Cooper as pivotal to the Eden Park encounter, he rates Genia's vision and decision-making as Australia's biggest weapon.

Carter has not forgotten how the 23-year-old halfback single-handedly clinched the Super Rugby title this year for Queensland with a glorious 60m solo try at Suncorp Stadium.

Despite being hounded for 70 minutes by Carter's Crusaders forward pack, which won the battle up front, Genia still managed to conjure the game-breaking moment out of nothing.

It was Carter himself, following the same game plan the All Blacks will also take into battle, who contributed to the try by rushing up on Genia.

Instead of kicking, the No.9 stepped back inside, beat Richie McCaw, burnt rival half Kahn Fotuali'i and then evaded three cover defenders to score for an 18-13 win.

Carter paid high praise to the skilful Cooper but admitted Genia's game gave him a major leg-up.

"What helps him is the guy inside," the 82-Test five-eighth said.

"Will Genia reads the game so well, he's got great vision and picks his times well.

"He's the real mastermind of that Australian side and particularly that backline.

"He's a world-class player, and any opportunities they get, they make the most of no matter what part of the field they're in."

Carter said it was essential New Zealand continued with the same tactics of denying Genia and Cooper time and space, first through winning scrum and breakdown battles up front.

Genia also identified limiting the "time and space" of the dangerous All Blacks backline as a key for the visitors.

With heavy competition within the All Blacks ranks for back-three World Cup spots, he said Australia could not afford to give Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Hosea Gear counter-attacking chances through errant kicks.

"(Kicking) will be massively important," Genia said.

"They score a lot of their points off unstructured play and if you give them free rein, whereby you give them the ball with plenty of time off kicks, they've got quality players who can construct something from nothing.

"In the week we spoke about putting in a complete performance.

"We don't want to give away soft tries, particularly against good opposition like the All Blacks. They score tries off good and bad play, from both from us and them.

"They're a side that very rarely has lapses."

While Australia are determined to lay the platform for their first Bledisloe Cup series success since 2002 and first Tri-Nations crown since 2001 with victory, Saturday night's Test has World Cup ramifications at the venue of the October 23 final.

The All Blacks have been smarting about the Wallabies' confidence and suggestions they have peaked too early before the tournament once again.

No.8 Kieran Read said the clash offered the chance to "put a marker in the sand" in Auckland, where they haven't lost since 1994.

"Eden Park is going to be our fortress in the World Cup and we want to make it that," he said.

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